It’s a hoot on Grouse Mountain

In the summer of 2012, Grouse Mountain
started a new program.
People can now get very close to hawks,
owls and to a vulture and an eagle. Experts talk to visitors
about these amazing birds.
The program is called “Remarkable Raptors”.

Walk with a guidePeople can walk in nature. They can learn about birds of prey.
The Great Horned Owl lives on the mountain.
Spotted Owls are now endangered in B.C.
Only 20 Spotted Owls are in the province.
These owls live mainly in forests which have very old trees.

A ten year story
The Grouse Mountain Wildlife Refuge
for Endangered Wildlife is ten years old this year.
Dr. Ken Macquisten is the wildlife director and veterinarian.
In 2001, Macquisten and others made a habitat
for two young bears. These bear cubs were grizzlies.
And they were orphans. He wanted them
to live in a natural setting.

Two orphans get a homeGrinder, a baby grizzlie, was walking alone
on a logging road in Invermere, B.C.
He was thin and weak. He weighed only 4.5 kg.
No one could find his mother.
In the same year, 2001, Coola was alone
on a highway in Bella Coola.
A truck killed Coola’s mother and two other cubs.
Coola and Grinder are now both on Grouse Mountain.
They are safe and free. There are no hunters
or vehicles in their new home.

A new lifeDo you know what Grinder and Coola eat?
The staff gives them carrots, apples, cabbage, lettuce,
nuts, beef and salmon. Watermelon and honey are treats
for the bears, too. The staff pushes the food
into a tree stump or log. The bears have to find it by smell.
Then they rip open the wood to get the food.
These animals might eat about 60 pounds of food a day.
Bears in nature usually live about 25 years.
Here they could live up to 42 years.

Grey wolves come to the mountainTimber wolves are now in a habitat
at the bottom of Grouse Mountain.
The wolves retired from being in movies.
These animals were not born in the wild.
Their keepers fed them by hand.
So, now they must stay in the refuge.
Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered WildlifePeople can see the bears and wolves in their habitat.
They can visit the education centre.
They can also watch a new movie about “Tyto”,
a Barn Owl.

Yes, it may seem strange. Humans take more and more of the habitats of living things. Then we become aware and try to change what’s happening. We try to find places where they can live. There are many endangered species.